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Used BMW Alternators

All used BMW Alternators listed on Breakeryard.com are tested, original (OEM) manufacturer parts and come with a 14 day money back guarantee. Breakeryard.com list cheap new OES or aftermarket car parts at discounted prices and used OEM car parts up to 80% cheaper than main dealer prices for BMW from premium breaker yards from across the UK.

About Alternators

BMW alternators work in conjunction with the battery to produce power for the electrical parts of the car.  BMW alternators function by turning the mechanical action of the car’s turning drive shaft into electricity. They do this through the use of rapidly-spinning magnets. This magnetic field in turn produces an electrical current, which is used to power the car electrics. The BMW alternator is also essential for re-charging the car battery, ready to provide the spark necessary to start the car next time.

Alternators are generally quite small in size (a similar size to a roll of toilet paper) don't weigh much and are usually located at the front of the engine.

Usually most modern BMW alternators are maintenance-free and may have a lifespan of a decade or more. Eventually, however, these rapidly-moving car parts start to wear out, made worse over time by dirt and extremes of heat and cold. At best you might experience lights that dim sometimes, or warning lights temporarily flashing on your dashboard. More seriously, a battery that is not being fully charged during motion may mean that your car is difficult to start, or that the ignition fails completely. 

In some cases, such problems are put down to an older battery, but more often than not the real culprit is the alternator which is not successfully charging the battery. Check the voltage on your car which should be around 14 volts. Anything less than this and it is likely that the BMW alternator is worn out and will need replacing.

BMW trivia

  • Electric cars might be all the rage now, but BMW built their first one in 1972 and called it the BMW 1602e. It didn't quite make it to market though, thanks to the fact that it could only hold a twenty-minute charge.
  • The famous German pilot, the Red Baron, called BMW engines the 'greatest in the world' and ‘the best engine in the war’.
  • Think you know what BMW is an acronym of? If you answered Broke My Wallet, you’re definitely wrong. It really stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke (which is Bavarian Motor Works in English).
  • The BMW company was founded way back in 1916 and originally manufactured engines for planes. High demand for plane engines during WWI was good news for BMW, but they carried on making plane engines right up until 1945.
  • Did you know that BMW built a Lamborghini? The two popular companies decided to make a race car together, but Lamborghini pulled out during the manufacturing process. BMW carried on, and the final result was the original BMW M1 supercar.